Centrifugal machine



S. H. HALL.

CENTRIFUGAL MACHiNE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-,6 1921.

Patented July 18, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

lllll F/GJ.

/1// f/VESS.

S. H. HALL.

CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.,G1921.

Patnted July 18, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

m z/m/rol? /den: 15 ffcz/f/ ,WMR/VEM W/T/VESS.

S. H. HALL.

CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG..6 1921.

1,422,852, Patenteci July 18, 1922.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ble centrifuge may be put are of such varied UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

SELDEN H. HALL, OF lQUGI-IKEEPSIE. NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE DE L-AVALSEPARATOR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK. N. Y.. A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

GENTRIFUGAL MAEHINE.

Application filed August 6, 1921.

.iiorm a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a centrifuge which can be usedas a separator for separating two liquids of: different specificgravities or as a purifier for sepaating one liquid from another liquidand a solid, and which can be readily altered to adapt it for use as aclarifier for separating from a liquid a solid or a heavier liquidadmixed therewith in very small proportions.

The uses to which my improved converticharacter that it is impossible tospecify them all even in general terms. In certain cases the centrifugemay be used for carrying out wholly dissimilar processes that haveheretofore been carried out in differently constructed machines. Inother cases the centrifuge may be used for carrying out, in the sameprocess. dissimilar steps that have required, or would require,differently constructed machines. One of the uses to which thecentrifuge may be put is to carry out a process which comprisessubjectinga mixture of a relatively light liquid and a relatively heavyliquid to centrifugal force to separate them. continuously infiowing thefresh mixture while continuously separately drawing oi'f the lighterliquid and the heavier liquid, thereby recovering most of the lighterliquid (which. even in the most eilicient separat 1, will contain asmall proportion oi? the heavier liquid as an impurity) and thensubjecting the thus imperfectly purified lighter liquid to centrifugalForce. to separate outthe remaining fraction of the heavier liquid whilecontinuously inflowing fresh quantities of the partially purifiedlighter liquid and confining or restricting; the heavier liquid fromescape so as to build up a surrounding and gradually thickening envelopeof the heavier liquid.

While the execution of this process would normally require the use oftwo bowlsa separator or purifier bowl and. a clarifier Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1922.

Serial No. seems.

lgiowl. I have herein provided means whereby. ".vithout substitution ofanother bowl. shell. the centrifuge may be easily converted from onetype oi? bowl to the other. There by the foregoing process, as well asother processes. may be carried out in the same centrifuge.

As an example of another process that can he carried out in my improvedcentrifuge may be mentioned the dehydration of used switch oil, whereina saponifying agent is added to the oil. the mixture of oil, soap.carbon. dirt and water is subjected to centrifugal force to separate outthe oil largely ireed m": impurities, and the thus separated oil againsubjected to centrifugal force to effect its complete dehydration andpurification. Such process forms the subjcct-matter of a pendingapplication filed May 3, 1921 by Cyrus Howard Hapgood, Serial No.466,496.

In either of the foregoing processes it would be impracticable to carryout the second step of the process in a centrifugal separator the termseparator being used in the art to designate that type of centrifugewherein both the heavier liquid and the lighter liquid are continuouslydrawn off as they are separated). because a separator is not eiiicieutit the heavier liquid is present in the mixture in a very smallproportion. In other words, it is necessary to carry out the second stepoi each of said processes in a clarifier. By providing means whereby asingle bowl is readily transformable. it is clear that one machine maybe made to do the work which would otherwise require two machines.

While I have particularly specified two processes. each comprising twosteps, as eX- amples of the use to which my improved machine can be put,it is clear that it may also be used in carrying out two separateprocesses. one of which involves separation or purification and theother of which in volves clarification. In industries wherein any twosuch independent processes are carried out. it is a material economicadvantage to be able to carry out both of them by the use of a singlemachine.

While in order to secure the convertibility desired. it is onlynecessary to provide readily insertable and removable means whereby theoutlet heavier fluid from the bowl. may substantially be prevented (sucha iica ti on and clarification.

the point at which it is intended to block the outflow of heavier liquidand even in some cases purposely arrange for a very restricted outflowof liquid at this point In my improvement, I provide removable meanswhereby the discharge weirs will be prop erly arranged whether themachine be adjusted for one operation or the other and whereby leakageor seepage past the obstruction to outflow of liquid from the peripherywill not aflfect the thoroughness of clarification. I insure the latterresult first by providing for thorough separation of any such escapingliquid and either the subsequent return of the separated lighter liquidto the main body of liquid in the bowl or its discharge in a perfectlypurified condition.

The nature of my invention will be understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a sectional view through oneform of bowl when used as a separator.

Fig. 2 shows the bowl when adapted for use as a clari'lier; and

Fig. 3 is a comparative view in which tl'ie right half shows the bowladapted for use as a separatonwhile the left half shows the bowl adaptedfor use as a clarifier.

In all figures a is the supporting rotary spindle, i) the bowl bot y. (rthe bowl top, (Z the ring by which the bowl top is securer to the bowlbody, 0 the central feed tube, f radial channels leading from thecentral feed tube to the separating space of the bowl, 9 the linercomposed, as usual. oi a.

number of superposed discs, and 71, and i vanes or wings for compellingthe liquid near the periphery to rotate with the bowl.

In each bowl, there is a top disc above the liner, aiiording a spacebetween it and the bowl to or cover. in the separator or purifier (Fig.l) the top disc m-is provided with a neck at having an internaldischarge weir 0, while a weir 72 having a diameter slightly greaterthan the outside diameter of the neck is secured, by means of theflanged ring '1', to the upper end of the bowl top. The lower end of thetop disc extends substantially outside the liner 7, overhanging the freespace between the liner and the bowl perlpheryn and terminates arelatively .short distance iii-om the bowls periphery;

leaving a spare s outside and above its edge the conduit between the topdisc and the bowl top.

To convert the centrifuge into a clarifier, the top disc on and weir pare removed and a top disc u and weir o are substituted, as shown inFig. 2'and the left hand side of Fig. 3. The weir '0 is of a diameternot greater than, and preferably the same as, the diameter oi? the weir0 of the neck 01 of top disc m. The top disc u is unprovided with a neckand its central opening is of somewhat greater diameter than that ofweir o. The lower end of the top disc is provided with a ring orenlargement t which. rests against, or closely approximates, the coverof the bowl, thereby blocking or obstructing the outflow 0]": liquidfrom the peripheral part of the bowl into the space above the top disc.

When the bowl operates as a separator or purifier, the heavier liquid(carrying with it any solids of intermediate specific gravity, if suchsolids be present in the mixture) flows around the outer edge of the topdisc in. {ills the conduit above the top disc and discharges over theedge of weir p and thence over the neck of the bowl. The lighter liquidis displaced inwardly, flows upward insidethe neck n of the top disc mand is discharged over the neck.

When the bowl operates as a clarifier, the relatively small proportionof heavier liquid with any solids of intermediate specific gravity), orthe solids alone if no relatively heavy liquid is present as animpurity, are thrown'to the periphery, where they accumulate and form anenvelope of gradually increasing thickness. The lighter liquid isdischarged over the weir o.

if the weir 1' were omitted from the 0131i".

fier, there would be a difference in pressure between the lighter liquidbelow the top disc and that above it of about thirty-five pounds persquare inch. The central hole in the top disc at is purposely cutsomewhat larger than the diameter of the weir 1) so that after the'spacebetween the top disc and the bowl top lill.ed,the How of the lighterliquid is controlled entirely by the weir o and the pressures on the twosides of the top disc are equal. Any leak of liquid past the outer rimof the top disc u and the ring 25 will not he. therefore. more than thequantity which can be clarified in the space between aroun whichitheheavier liquid escapes into ,around the rim of the top,I mean to includea case where the flow is restricted as well as a case where the flow isstopped.

As an example of a specific process which may be carried out effectivelyin my convertible bowl may be mentioned the resolution of an emulsion ofoil and water. The emulsion is first run through the machine adjustedfor separation, the water being discharged from the periphery and theoil (with a small proportion of water) being displaced toward the centerand discharging through the neck of the top disc. The incompletelypurified oil is then run through the bowl adjusted for clarification andthe water entirely eliminated. The effectiveness of the bowl will be thesame whether or not dirt is present in the emulsion.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. A convertible centrifuge comprising a bowl shell, a top disc abovethe separating space of the bowl, and alternative means one affording afree flow for heavy liquid from the peripheral part of said separatingspace to the space above the top disc and the other obstructing the fiowto said space above the top disc.

2. A convertible centrifuge comprising a bowl shell and two exchangeabletop discs each of which spaces the separating chamber of the bowl fromthe bowl top and within which the relatively light liquid is adapted toflow upward to its discharge, one of said top discs affordin a freeescape around its outer rim for relatively heavy liquid and the otherobstructing said escape, thereby permitt-ing the bowl to operaterespectively as a separator or purifier and as a clarifier.

3. A convertible centrifuge comprising two exchangeable top discs onehaving a neck, and two exchangeable weirs one of which is of largerdiameter than the neck of the necked disc and is adapted to be associated therewith to adapt the centrifuge to act as a separator orpurifier, while the second weir is of smaller diameter than the firstweir and is adapted to be associated with the second top disc to adaptthe centrifuge to act as a clarifier.

4. A convertible centrifuge comprising a bowl shell, two exchangeabletop discs one having a neck, two exchangeable weirs of differentdiameters, the weir of larger diameter adapted to be associated with thenecked disc and the weir of smaller diameter adapted to be associatedwith the second top disc, and means adapted to be associated with thesecond top disc and second weir and acting to obstruct the flow ofliquid from the peripheral part of the bowl into the space above the topdisc.

5. A convertible centrifuge comprising two exchangeable top discs onehaving a neck and an interior weir, and two exchangeable weirs one ofwhich is of greater diameter than the neck of the necked disc and isadapted to be associated therewith and the other of a diameter notgreater than that of the disc weir and adapted to be associated with thesecond disc.

6. A convertible centrifuge comprising a bowl shell, two interchangeabletop discs, one having a neck and an interior weir, and two exchangeableweirs one of which is of greater diameter than the neck of the neckeddisc and is adapted to be associated therewith and the other of which isof a diameter not greater than that of the disc weir and is adapted tobe associated with the second disc, and means adapted to be associatedwith the second disc and second weir to obstruct the flow of liquid fromthe peripheral part of the bowl into the space above the top disc.

7. A convertible centrifuge comprising two exchangeable top discs onehaving a neck and an interior weir and the other havinga central hole,and two exchangeable weirs one of which is of greater diameter than theneck of the necked disc and is adapted to be associated therewith andthe other of which is of a diameter not greater than that of the discweir and less than that of the hole in the second disc and adapted to beassociated therewith.

8. A convertible centrifuge comprising a bowl shell, two interchangeabletop discs, one having a neck and an interior weir and the other havin noneck and a central hole, two exchangeab e weirs one of which is ofgreater internal diameter than the outside diameter of the neck of thefirst disc and is adapted to be associated therewith and the other ofwhich is of an internal diameter not greater than that of the disc weirand less than that of the hole in the second disc and adapted to beassociated therewith, and means adapted to be associated with the seconddisc and second weir to obstruct the flow of liquid from the peripheralpart of the bowl into the space above the top disc.

9. In a centrifugal bowl, the combination with a bowl shell, a centralfeeding tube and a set of liner discs, of means to adapt said bowl toact as a separator or a clarifier, said means including twointerchangeable top discs, one with a neck and one without a neck, alarger diameter discharge ring for use coincident with the disc having aneck and, for use coincident with the disc having no neck, a dischargering with the same digrneter as the discharge weir of the necked isc.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, atPoughkeepsie, N. Y., on this 28th day of July, 1921.

SELDEN H, HALL

